England set a new record-breaking total of 823 for seven declared during the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, establishing a substantial lead on a highly batting-friendly pitch. On the third day of the match, Joe Root surpassed Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s highest-ever run-scorer with a remarkable century showcasing his batting prowess.
However, it was on day four that England truly made history by reaching the monumental total, breaking numerous records in the process. The standout partnership between Harry Brook and Root yielded 454 runs from just 522 balls, marking England’s highest-ever Test partnership and the fourth-highest partnership for any wicket in the history of the format. This surpassed the previous English record set by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey in 1957, but achieved in half the number of deliveries.
In addition to this partnership feat, it was only the third instance in Test history where two players from the same team scored over 250 runs each. Root not only became the first England player to amass 20,000 international runs across all formats but also earned the distinction of being the 13th player globally to achieve this milestone.
Meanwhile, Brook’s remarkable performance saw him become the first England player in 34 years to score a triple century. His total of 317 runs is the fifth-highest Test score by an Englishman and the highest against Pakistan, surpassing the previous record set by Denis Compton in 1957. Impressively, Brook has shown a particular aptitude for batting in Pakistan, as he has notched up more runs in the country than in his home country during his previous tour in 2022 and the first innings in Multan.
England’s total score of 823 for seven is now the nation’s fourth-highest in Tests and their biggest since the Second World War. However, achieving this milestone only took them 150 overs, not placing it among the top 1,000 longest innings in Test cricket history. This score also stands as the highest by a visiting team in Pakistan, outperforming the previous record set by India in 2004 with a score of 675 in Multan.